Art of treating painted or varnished articles



C. M. CUNLIFFE. ART OF TREATING PAINTED 0R VARNJSHED ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 050 27. Isis.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

C. M. CUNLIFFE. ART OF TREATING PAINTED 0R VARNISHED ARTICLES.APPLICATION r|Ln 0Ec.2'2. 1916- 1,327,314 Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

awuantoz M WW c. 'M. CUNLIFFE, ART OF TREATING PAINTED 0R VARNISHEDARTICLES.

. APPLIQATION FILED DEC-27, 191 6. 1,327,314.

' fatnted J an. 6, 1920.

u w w W m M M qr J M u m g uw \\\\\uMI- i FL E M a, fl T 2 M m WUNITED". STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CICERO M. CUNLIFFE, OF DETROIT, 'MICHIGAN, ASS IGNOR TO AMERICAN BLOWERCOMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ART OF-TREATING PAINTED OR VARNISHED ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, i920.

' Application filed December-27, 1916. Serial No. 139,202.

.To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, CIoERo M. 'CUNLIFFE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in the Artof Treating Painted or varnished Articles, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates-to the art of treatin'g articles having thereonan application of wet paint, varnish or the like, whereby to properlydry and harden the painted or varnished surfaces of such articles.

In the art to which theinvention relates, many attempts; have been madeto properly and quickly dry freshly painted, varnished or enameledarticles of furniture andthe none with which I'am familiar haveprovenentirely satisfactory, because of certaln disadvantages andobjections, among which may be mentioned, the great loss of time andexpense incident to treatment, the difficulty in obtaining clear anduniform coloring, the dangerof streaking, the formation of globules, andthe frequent scaling of the varnish, enamel, etc, from the completedarticles. l

' One of the systems largely in use at the present time is what iscommonly known as the baking process, which includes the lacing of thearticles in a closed oven sub- ]ected to high heat, the vapors from thebenzin and naphtha being retained ,in the oven, and these vapors, beingall that really vaporize from the paint and varnish, frequently causethe finished article to have light and dark shades, regardless f theoriginal color of the paint or varnish, and also the coating is foundtobe more or less brittle, and frequently scales off in flakes.

It has also beenlargely the practice in the paint or varnish drying artto employ -in connection with a drying chamber, both forced and naturalcirculation ofiiirinto and through the chamber, and in eit or case dustis often stirred up andbrought in contact with the painted surfaces.gaim'th e draft or current coming in contac with the wet paint orvarnishes causes'the formation of ripples or waves. 1 Still further, thedi- -rect contact of the articles with the current I coat, and after thelast coat had been applied, it was'the general rule to leave thearticles stand several days before the same could be wrapped or' packedfor shipment, and during certain times of the year, the

finish would even then become sticky, thus leaving marks of the packing;It is, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide asystem or method of treating painted or varnished surfaces to overcomethe above and other existing objections, and with a View to producing atough, durable, elastic surface, with even luster, which will retain-itscolor in any climate, and make possible the completion of the drying andhardening proc-- ess in much less time than has heretofore beenpossible.

While it is contemplated by the present method to treat painted orvarnished articles generally, the present method has been.

extensively and satisfactory employed in connection with the finishingof metal beds, it having been ascertained that beds may be successivelyenameled in pure white' without any variation in color over the entiresurface. It has also been ascertain'ed"that the present'method resultsin a greatsaving in time, and that the finished surface w1ll haveabsolutely no tendency to scale under any pressure or under anycondition of treatment or use. Again, it has been found that .by theemployment of the present method,

the finished surface will be continuous and smooth, and devoid ofthecustomary streaks, globules, etc.

In carrying out the present method, it is. contemplated to employ adrying chamber,

and one of'the objects of'the invention is to provide a method whereinthe airfor drying purposes is properly treated prior to its admissioninto the chamber, andwhereby the proper temperature of said air for themost satisfactory results is maintained.

Another object of the invention is to pro;

Vide a method wherein the necessary volume of air is employed to carryoff the volatile matter as fast as it vaporizes in the drying thearticle being treated during the process of dryingor oxidizing, and inthis connection, it is proposed to allow the air as admitted into thedrying chamber to expand into an unoccupied space of considerable areaabove the article to be treated, and allow the air after it has lostsubstantially all of its velocity .to settle down in mass formation uponand; gradually envelop the article to be treated in an atmosphere ofeven temperature. and relative humidity with no perceptible movement.

In the successful drying of painted or varnished articles it has beenproven to be absolutely necessary to avoid any apparent or appreciablevelocity of the drying medium, usually treated air, as otherwise thepaint or varnish will dry unevenly and delicate tints Will be discoloredin spots. A very important feature of the invention therefore resides inthat step of the method which requires an air space of considerableareaabove the articles under process of treatment, and in providingmeansadjacent the point of admission of the air into the container fordiffusing andthrowing the air 'ofi' in all directions horizontallywhereby to cause the air to lose its velocity before it begins to settledown somewhat similar to the settling of a fog down in the atmosphere.This feature of the invention is also. important in that.

it results in an equal distribution of temperature throughout the entiretreating chamber whereby ever portion of the surface of the article wille treated alike.

The improved method embodies a step wherein theair, so soon as'itbecomes saturated or chilled, 'is rapidly removed from the dryingchamber, and in a manner to prevent any stirring up of dust or. the likewithin said chamber.

In carrying out this "feature of the invention, it is contemplated toprovide an extended outlet or outlets at the base of the containeradapted to deliver the air into a chamber surrounding the container,from which, through the medium of an exhaust fan or the like the air isejected. This chamber, assuming a'plurality of abutting treatingvcontainers are employed, acts as an insulatin'g medium with the resultthat one treating rpom or container will be substantially independent ofits neighbor and while other articles,

one-room is being heated toits highest temperature inthe midst of thedrying process,

the adjacent room may have injected into it' at the same time cold humidair in the process of cooling the articles for the purpose of paint andvarnish and increasing her of the series employed, whereby the same maybe used at will for drying, oxidizing and cooling. I

The improved methodmay be characterized as one wherein the freshlypainted or varnished article is placed in a substantially closed dryingchamber having an air inlet adjacent'the top thereof and an air outletadjacent the bottom thereof, and the treat ment of the air so introducedinto such chamher which includes first washing, andpurifying the air,subsequently heating the air,

causing said heated air as introduced into the chamber to settle in massformation without velocity upon thearticle, and introducing at willdirectly into said chamber, the

cooled air prior to the heating treatment. More particularly theinvention includes .a process wherein the varnished article is subjectedto heat to volatilize the oils in the paint or varnish, with the properdegree of humidityto keep the surface moist until all of the oils arevvolatilized, and after sufli-.

ind

cient time has elapsed. to evaporate the I oils, subjecting the articleto chilled humid air whereby to quickly harden the finish before it hasa chance toagain absorb any of the volatile oils. This results inproducing a fine luster and retains the same perfection of the colors aswhen applied and further maintains the desirable elasticity of thefinishwith the hardness, so that it will not crack by expansion orcontraction when subquently subjected to, heat or cold, all of,

which are desirable. characteristics which have been the aim; of everymanufacturer who has to use varnish, paint or enamel on metal surfaces.7. I

While as previously described, the present process is tparticularlyvaluable to manufacturers o metal articles such as beds, the inventionhas also been very successful in connection with the treatment ofvarious for instance, automobile bodies and fenders, phonographcabinets,

various articles of furniture, etc., in which event the processtreatment is similar, though the temperature of the drying medium isusually lower, and consequently takes a little longer time to volatilizethe oils.

Other andfurther objects and improve-- ments embodied in the inventionwill be understood by those skilled in the art from ,the description tofollow which for a clear understanding of the invention is to be considered in connection withtlfie accompanying drawings, wherein I haveshown for the purpose. of illustration, a. convenient and. satisfactoryembodiment of an apparatus which has been found use 111 in the carryingout of the contemplated method, though in.- this connection, it is-to beborne inminol that many changes may be made in the type of apparatusemployed and still be within the keeping of the invention.

In the description and claims, wherein the terms paint, varnish,enamel-and the like are employed, it is. to be understood that theseterms are general and are not to be construed in a limited sense, butrather to include any painting or finishing preparation or material forarticles of furniture, beds and the like.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvements.

2 is a side elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Flg. 2 looking in the.direction of the arrows.

With more particular reference to the drawings, wherein like referencenumerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, oneor more drying chambers are provided, two being shown for the pur poseof illustration, it being desirable at 40 times to dry articles in onechamber while certain of the finished articles are simultaneouslysubjected to a cooling action in the other chamber. These chambers arepreferably elongated and have a bottom wall 1, a top wall 2 and sidewalls 3. Suitable end walls land 5 are provided, one or both of whichpreferably take the form of movable doors whereby to permit of entranceand delivery of articles before and '50 after treatment.

The air to be delivered into the drying chambers, which latter may begiven the reference characters a and b respectively, is .first subjectedto proper treatment to thoroughly wash and cleanse the same'and regulatethe temperature thereof, whereby to 'obtain the most satisfactoryresults, and with this in view, an inclosed casing 6 is preferablyarranged at one side of the chamber a.

6 0 A suitable power driven fan or blower 7. or any approved type isarranged adjacent one.

end of the casing 6, the same being adapted to'force the air from theoutside into and through the casing and into the drying 6'5 chambers.The caslng 6 is divided into vameans, not necessary to illustrateherein.

duit 17 is arranged to the side of the conend thereof is arranged asuitable air washer and purifying means 8. The well known Sirocco typeof purifier has been found to bewell adapted for this purpose, the sameusually including. a tank towhich is connected a centrifugal pumpadapted --to discharge water into a system of. spray pipes havingdischarge nozzles whereby the water is atomized into a fine 'mist andthe air current as it passes through this mist will be.- come saturated.The saturated air then comes into contact with deflecting platesconveniently zig-zag in construction and .ar-'- rangement, whereby theair will become so freed of dust, dirt-or other foreign matter whichwill stickor-cling to the plates to be thereafter washed down into'thesump tank therebeneath. Other types of purifiers and washers adapted tocleanse and saturate the air up to the dew point may be employed withsatisfactory results if desired. Ar-

ranged rearwardly of thewashing and puriheating chamber. 11 is providedwith. re-' heating temperature; transmitting C011S 12.

The lower cool chamber may, ifdesired, be provided with suitableartificial cooling Leading from the forward outlet end-of the casing 6and adapted to 'oommunicate with the chamber 13 beneaththe partition 10is a suitable duct or conduit 14g project-[110 ing upwardly ov er theside of the heating.

chamber a, and thenoeacross thetop of the. v I

chamber andadapted to communicate with a horizontally extending chamber16 arranged substantially midway between the sides of the chamber 6,andfOrmingwith the top of said chamber 6 a closed conduit substantiallycoextensive 'in'length with the top of the chamber 6. An auxiliary{conduit if and leads from the lower chamber 13 of the .casing 6upwardly over the side of the heating chamber'a and thence over] the topof said heating chamber and communicates at its end with a horizontallydisposed chamber 18 similar in construction to Y the chamber 16heretofore described. Conduits 19 and 20, project upwardly from the topof the casing 6'at a point in communicatlon with the heating chamber 11,130

the said conduits connecting the one with v the conduit 1d at the pointM- and the other with the conduit 17 at the point 17 A suitable valve 20of any desirable construction is adapted to regulate the air admittedfrom the chamber 13 into the conduit 14, or to entirely closecommunication between these members] A similar valve 21 is adapted tocontrol or regulate the air admitted from the conduit 19 into theconduit 14 or to en tirely close this means of communication betweenthese members.

v Likewise, valves22 and 23 respectively are arranged in the conduits 17and 20, being the same in principle and operation as the valves 20? and21 respectively heretofore described. Extending longitudinally of thechambers a and 6 upon the top walls thereof. are suitable outlet airconduits 24 adapted to discharge into a chamber 25 projectingtransversely over' the top walls 2 of the drying chambers andcommunicating :with an outlet pipe 26, which may communicate with theoutside, or with any suitable draft appliance, not necessary toillustrate herein. Arranged within the chambers a and b are suitableauxiliary sidewalls, flanges or diaphragms 27 the latter being arrangedad- .jacentto, but spaced from the side walls 3 and extending from thetop wall 2 to a point adjacent the bottom wall 1, the space between thelower edge of the side walls 27 and bottom wall 1 being relativelynarrow whereby to provide a restricted passage between the chambers aand b and the chambers 27 formed by the walls 3 and 27. The

chambers 27 are adapted to have communication with the conduits 24through the medium of suitable apertures in the top walls 2 of thechambers a and b, the said apertures being illustrated at 28 and beingarranged at suitable intervals throughout the length of the top walls 2.

The top walls 2 are provided with suitable openings 29 arranged atsuitable intervals throughout the length of the same and substantiallymidway of the sides thereof,

whereby to establish communication between the chambers a and b and thechambers 18 and 16, respectively. The openings 29 are. so spaced as togive the most even distribution of the air into the chambers 05 and bthat is obtainable. Arranged below each of the openings 29 is a suitablehorizontally disposed disk 30' of a diameter somewhat greater than thediameter of the bers a and b are of a height considerabl above that ofthe articles to be treate whereby to provide thereabove an extendeddistribution space of considerable area, said spacebeing generallyrepresented above the dotted lines 6, the method herein contemplated maybe described as being substantially the following. The articles tobetreated, sayfor'instance,

bed frames, havingapplied thereto a coating of paint, varnish, enamel orthe like, are placed within the chambers a and b when the end doors areclosed, whereby to provide substantially air tight compartments. The airto be used in the drying process is properly conditioned by passingthrough the air washer or purifier which removes any dirt or dust, andthe air becoming saturated up to the dew-point, passes around theprimary heating or tempering coil 9, where the temperature is raisedabove the freezing point in zero weather. Assuming the valves 20 and 22to be closed and the valves 21 and 23 open, the air is forced throughthe heating chamber 11 having therein the re-heating coils from whencethe same is discharged through the conduits 19 and 20 into the conduits14 and 17, which latter communicate with the longitudinally extendingconduits 16 and 18. From the conduits 16 and 18, the air is forcedthrough the openings 29 into the treating chambers, the air being of thepropertemperature to accomplish the evaporating functions. As the airleaves the openings 29 the top of .100

the drying chambers, it will be v immediately deflected horizontally,through the medium ,of the deflecting members 30 and allowed to expandinto the large space or expanding chamber above the articles to betreated. In the said expanding chamber, the air will bebecome thoroughlydistributed and will expend its velocity with'the result that the samewill settle down gradually, in mass formation and envelop the articleswithout '11 any perceptible velocity, and-Without any; tendency to stirup any dust that may in the treating chamber; The heated a1r as it isbrought into association with the articles to be treated is preferablysaturated at about the same temperature as the articles when they areplaced within the treating chambers and said articles have a tendency tolower the temperature of the air, thus bringingit down nearer to thepoint of satu- 1 2 ration. This reventsthe paint or varnish coating fromorming askin, and causes any drips or unequal flow in the application ofthe paints or varnishes to flow and spread out into an even coating. Theoutlet between the heating chambers a and b and the chambers 27 betweenthe side walls 3 and the vertical diaphragms or aprons 27, is arrangedin depth so as to maintain slight static pressure in the drying chamber,and,

are preferably formed of sheet metal.

- is intended, it was considered impossibleto' with the arrangementillustrated the presconduits 24:, and outlet 26 to the point ofdischarge.

The air outlet space provided between the Walls 3 and 27 of the dryingchamber acts as an insulation against adjoming chambers or thesurrounding room, and does not affect the temperature 1n either of thedrying chambers, so that cold air may be forced into one drying chamberWhile hot air is being forced into the nextadjacent chamber withoutreducing the temperature in the drying chamber. The diaphragms 27 likethe walls of the drying chambers a amigo 3 providing a number of closelyassociated openings 29 in the top wall of the chambers a and b for theadmission of air and having the elongated slots along the floorfor .theescape of air, there results a thoroughly even distribution of the airand an even gemperature in all parts of the drying chamer. s

The articles to be treated are maintained in the closed chamber andsubjected to the drying operation of the heated air, say from two tothree hours, according to the particular application, when the valves 21and 23 are closed and the valves 20 and 22 are opened, thereby admittingthe cool air directly from the chamber 13 into the chambers a and I)through the inlets 29 heretofore described. The cool air being nearlysaturated when it comes in contact with theartrcles, the painted orvarnished surfaces are rapidly cooled, thereby producing a very finefinish and increasing the luster and hardness of the surface. V

Very satisfactory results have been accomplished having the air leavethe washer or purifier at a relatively low temperature, say from sixtytoseventy degrees and saturated, and when the heated air leaves theheating chamber and enters the drying chamber, the same is approximately240". or thereabout. In prior systems adapted for the purpose to whichthe present invention subject the varnished articles in the dryingprocess to a higher temperature than 190, owing to the tendency tocause. discoloration of the lighter tints, resulting in streaking, etc.In the present system, while the oils in the varnish may be vaporized atabout 130 with fairly satisfactory results, it is possible to carry the.temperature as far as 240, and the character of the finish is just asperfect as when treated at a lower temperature, and because of the hightemperature, there re sults a considerable reduction of the timenecessary to dry the varnish, approximately 50% of the time usuallyrequired for this purpose; When it comes ,in contact with the article,say at a temperature of about 70, the temperaturewill drop and therelative humidity beincreased.

This dropping in temperature and rise in humidity prevents the paintfrom skinning, and allows the same to run out evenly over the article.In the cooling operation, the saturated air tends to give the articles afiner and better gloss or finish.

The finished product treated in accordance With the method abovedescribed will be found to have a continuous smooth and evendistribution of the finishing material,

entirely free fromspots, streaks, blemishes or discoloration, andregardless of the uses to which the articles are put there is nolikelihood of the paint or varnish scaling. Then again, because of thethorough drying and cooling process contemplated, the articles may befinished in a much shorter period than is possible in prior methods, andare in condition on completion of the treatment either to be stored orwrapped and shipped, regardless of the temperature, Without anyresultant injurious eifect upon the finish. The above meritoriousresults are largely due to the large. air space provided by the heatingchambers above the articles positioned in the chambers, and thediffusion of the air in all directions horizontally into said vacantspace, whereby the 100 air settles down without velocity and envelopsthe articles under the treatment. Then again, by reason of thesurrounding air chambers, the treating chambers are insulated from theefi'ect of outside tempera- 105 tures, or from the effect of aneighboring chamber, assuming it is desired to continue the dryingoperation in one chamber simultaneously with the coolingoperation in theadjacent chamber. While the treated air falls down and envelope, thearticles in the treating chamber without velocity, the elongated outletat the floor or base of the chamber permits the spent air to be rapidlyremoved through the medium of the fan as referred .to.

The volume of air introduced into each chamber may be controlledindependently of the volume of air introduced into another chamberthrough the medium of the valves by me on December 27, 1916, relating toapparatus for treating painted or varnished articles, in which I haveillustrated, de-

scribed and claimed certain features of my invention herein describedand not claimed. What I claim is a I 1. The method of drying varnishedarticles which consists in placing the articles with the varnish appliedthereto into the lower portion of aninclosed drying chamber introducingair into the upper portion of the drying chamber so as to be theredisseminated intogan unoccupied spaceof considerable area, and removingthe air from ,the' lower portion of the chamber whereby after it has theair introduced at the top 11 ocity w1 setlost substantially all of itsve tle down in mass formation upon and grad ually envelop the article.

2. The method of treating varnished articles, to dry and cool the same,which consists in placing the articles in the lower part of asubstantially closed chamber, of a size and construction to leave anunoccupied space of considerable area above the articles, introducingair into a washing chamber, and

. causing said air to enter the drying chamber the top wall of whichchamber is at the top thereof in heated or cooled condition at will, andallowing the air to escape from said chamber.

3. The method of treating varnished articles which consists in placingthe articles in a substantially closed drying chamber whereby, to leavea space of considerable area above the articles, introducing air intosaid chamber centrally of the top thereof, -subjecting the air beforeits introduction into said chamber first to, washing and then heating,causing the air upon its introduction into the upper portion of thechamber to first lose its velocity and then quietly settle in massformation upon the articles, permitting the air to escape at the base ofthe container, and subsequently introducing washed air directly intosaid chamber.

5. The art of treating varnished articles which consists in placing thearticles with a 7 fresh application of varnish or enamel in a closedchamber, adjacent the bottom thereof, disposed at a point considerablyabove the top of the articles whereby to, provide an unoccupied space ofconslderable area, subjecting air to a cooling and moistening agency,thereafter subjectingthe treated 21.11 to a temperature increasingagency, introducing the so treated air under pressure into the top ofthe chamber, preventing the air on it's entranceinto the chamber fromdirectly contacting with the varnished article under pressure and firstdifiusing the air horizontally on its introduction, and thereafterallowing the air to fall in a solid mass without perceptible velocityinto contact with the articles.

6. The art of'treating varnished articles such as bedsteads and thelike, which consists in placing the articles in the lower portion of aclosed chamber, the'top of which is disposed a, considerable distanceabove the tops of the-articles, whereby to provide an unoccupiedspace ofconsiderable area, subjecting air to a cooling and washing agency,subjecting the treated air to a temperatureincreasing agency,introducing the so treated air under pressure into the top of thechamber at the center thereof, diffusing the air horizontally in alldirections on its introduction into the said chamber, and thereafterallowing the air to fall in a solid mass without perceptible velocityinto contact with the articles, and rapidly withdrawing the air from thebottom of the chamber at points spaced laterally from the inlet at the'top of the chamber.

7. The art of drying varnished articles such as metal beds whichconsists in placing the freshly varnished articles to be treated in asubstantially closed chamber,

continuously introducing treated air into the chamber adjacent the topthereof, causing the air to drop and'envelop the articles in massformation and without perceptible velocity, and allowingthe air'toescape adjacent thebase of the chamber at a point spaced laterally from.the inlet at the top of the chamber.

8. The art of drying iron bedsteads and,

the like having a fresh application of paint or varnish, which consistsin placing... the

article while still wet, in'the lower portion of a closed drying chamberofaheight considerably greater than that of the article,

introducing treated air into the chamber adjacent thetop thereof,causing the air to diffuse and drop in mass formation upon and over thearticles in an atmosphere of substantially even temperature and relativehumidity and with noperceptible movement,

chamber adjacent the bottom thereof. 9. The artv of drying iron beds andthe like havinga fresh application of paint or 'varnish, -wh ichconsists in placing the. articles in thelow'erportion of a closed dryingchamber of a size to providean unocand allowing the air to escape fromthe cupiedair' space of considerable area above the articles,introducing treated-air into the chamber adjacent the top thereof,andat' article in an atmosphere of, substantiallyeven temperature andrelative humidity and with no perceptible movement, and allowing the airto escape from the chamber adjacent the side of the bottom thereof, andrapidly removing the escaped air to the out S] e.

10. The art of treating freshly painted or enameled iron beds and thelike, which consists in placing the bed in the lower portion of a closedtreating chamber of a height to provide an unoccupied upper space ofconsiderable area above thearticle, subjected the air to washing anddrying treatment, introducing the treated air into the upper portion ofthe chamber causing the same to fall only after it has lost its velocityto envelo the article, rapidly discharging the air rom the base of thechamber, and finally introducing cooled air into the chamber adj acentthe top thereof and withdrawing the same from the base of the chamber.

11. The art of treating freshly varnished I articles to dry and cool thesame which consists in placing the articles in the lower portion of aclosed chamber of a size to provide an unoccupied space of considerablearea above the article, subjecting air to ,a washing process andsubjecting said washed air to a heating process and introducing the sameinto the treating chamber at the top of said unoccupied space,withdrawing said air from the base of the chamber and subsequentlyintroducing washed air without heating directly into the treatingchamber at the top thereof and subsequently removing the same at thebase thereof.

12,. The art of treating freshly varnished articles to dry and cool thesame which consists in placing the articles in a closed chamber,subjecting air to a washing process and subjecting said washed air to aheating process and introducing the same into the treating chamber,withdrawing said air and subsequently introducing washed air withoutheating directly .into the treating chamber and subsequently removingthe same, the said air in both instances being introduced at the top ofthe chamber and allowed to fall in mass formation without perceptiblevelocity downwardly over the articles and escaping adjacent the bottomof the chamber. s 4

13. The artof treating freshly varnished articles which consists inplacing the article in a closed chamber, subjecting air to a cooling andmoistening agency to reduce the temperature and increase the humidity toa point of approximately complete saturation,

drying chamber and causing the same to en velop the articles withoutsubstantial 'velocity and free from currents, alloWin the air as thetemperature thereof is re need and humidity increased to escape from thechamber adjacent the base thereof, and allowing said escaped air to passover the outer surface of thewalls of the chamber, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

14. The improved method of treating painted articles which consists inintroducing a treating medium into a treating chamber of a heightconsiderably greater than that of the painted article positioned in saidchamber, after subjecting said treating medium to a purifying andtemperature regulating process, causing said treating medium to bedifl'used horizontally at the top of the container and in the spaceabove the article, allowing the treating medium. after it has expandedits velocity to envelop the article,

and finally permitting the treating medium to escape from the base ofthe container.

15. The method of treating painted articles which consists in placingthe articles in atreating chamber having an air passage overlying onewall thereof and maintaining above the article an unobstructed air spaceof considerable area, treating air to cleanse the same and to regulatethe temperature thereof, introducing said air into the top of thechamber, causing said air to lose its velocity in the space above thearticle, and withdrawing'the air from the base of the chamber andintroducing the same into the air passage surrounding the wall of thetreating chamber.

16. The method of treating painted or the articles in chambers separatedfrom one another by air spaces, introducing cleansed and temperatureregulated air-into the respective chambers at the top thereof, causingsaid air to lose its velocity in the space above the, articles wherebyto envelope without force or velocity the articles to be treated,- andallowingsaid air to escape from the base of the chambers into saidintervening air spaces. Y v

17. The process of drying and finishing varnished or painted articleswhich consists in applying heated air to volatilize the oils in thepaint or varnish with the proper degree of humidity to keep the surfacemoist until all the oils are volatilized, and after they are soevaporated, subjecting the article 120 to the action of chilled humidair to quickly harden the finish before it has a chance toagain absorbany of the volatile oils, the

heated and chilled air being subjected'to an influence whereby itwillenvelop the article without force or velocity. Y 18. The method oftreating varnished articles whichconsists in placing the article with anapplication of varnish thereon in a substantially closed chamber,introducing 130 into said chamber air at a high temperature,

.say approximately 240 Withdrawing said air from the chamber andintroducing cool I air thereinto, the heated and'cooled' air beingsubjected to treatment wherebyit will enve1op the article without forceor Velocity. 19. The method of treating 'freshly painted orenameled'bedsteads and the like which-consists in placing the articleinto the of the chamber at the center thereof, preventing said air fromimmediately contactin with the article and causing the same to di usein' di'fierent directions laterally in the space above the articles,allowing the air 1x) fall after it has lost its velocity and to envelopthe article, and removing the said air same to pass through said airpassage.

20. The. method of treating freshly enameled or varnished iron bedsteadsand the like, which consists in placing the articles in an lnclosedchamber, introducing temperature regulated air into said chamber at thetop. thereof, causing the air as introduced to lose its velocity and?thereafter permitting the same to fall in mass formation and envelop thearticles, causing the air to escape from the base of the chamberand tothereafter travel upwardly over the outerwall of said chamber.

In testimony whereofI hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CICERO M. GUNLIF E;

Witnesses I PAUL C. DICKINSON,- H. M. ZERBE.

